Cups are needed in daily life. A variety of cups are available in the market, some of which have a lid. One type has a single-layer cup body structure without heat insulation and features that prevent scalding. Another type has a double-layer cup body structure with heat insulation, scald prevention and heat preservation functions. Cups currently available in the market, whether with a single-layer cup body structure or with a double-layer cup body structure, have a common problem. That problem is that during use, a user needs to open the lid before drinking. Thus, such cups have the following disadvantages: when the lid is removed, heat insulation is adversely affected. Moreover, frequent opening of the lid causes fast temperature drop, and meanwhile in public environment, dust in the air is easy to permeate into the cup, which is not clean and sanitary. Some fast food restaurants provide insulated (Styrofoam) cups with plastic caps or lids having small openings in them through which the beverage in the cup can be consumed. This reduces but does not eliminate the above concerns and problems, and allows the hot beverage to pour out the opening if the cup is tipped over or tipped too much.
For the convenience of carrying, some cups in the market are also provided with a handle. The handle usually is of a snap-type, which snaps onto the lid and may fall off while carrying the cup. If boiling water or very hot water is contained inside the cup, there exist potential risks of scalding the user or those nearby, and the risk of damaging the cup as it hits the ground or other objects as it falls.
Moreover, since the cup lid is separable from the cup body, the lid becomes burdensome during drinking and is inconvenient to hold in one's hand. If the lid is placed somewhere while drinking, the lid is often forgotten or even lost. Thus, the cup body and the cup lid are often connected with a tether, which is not elegant in appearance and easy to be damaged as well. In some cups, a plastic fitting is used to connect the cup body with the cup lid. But the fitting does not appear to be in harmony with the cup and is not a part of the cup.
There is thus a need for a lid for a better insulated beverage cup having a drinking opening that is accessible and readily closable. There is a further need for such a lid that is securely fastened to the cup. There is a still further need for a handle that allows the user to securely carry the cup whether the drinking opening is open or closed.